Archive for April, 2015

Those of us advanced in age find time to be more precious now, than we did in our youth. Time used to pursue those final goals not yet met, and of course, those many naps that we find required. Time is precious and that is what brings me to this musing.

I don’t know where I heard this, but I wrote it down so I’m sure it’s true. Okay, I can imagine all below the age of forty tuning out, but I go on. I heard that there is an app you can use to look at the contents of someone’s refrigerator. Really!

And more disturbing, I document that the reporter commented, “Fascinating.”

Give me a f—— break, does this reporter need a life or what. I know, in my youth, if anyone cared to look in my refrigerator they would have the opportunity to gaze upon beer and hot dogs, and perhaps some contents defying description.

What I find disturbing is who would want to show what is in their fridge, and more disturbing is who would want to see it.

I know I’m getting old, but I think our use of the fantastic technology existing today has hit a new low.

This piece will be about blogging and self-publishing, and some observations I have made.

I have been blogging for some time now; have bloggers I follow and some that follow me. I’ll begin with the negative. In blogging, I fault blogs that merely regurgitate other’s thoughts, ideas and creativity adding no insight or constructive thoughts. I’m turned off by quantity and not quality in what is presented.

Now for the good, and there is a great deal of good. I read the work of a host of talented writers posting on blogs about writing, their experiences in developing their craft along with blogs posting excellent poetry. If anyone out there is interested in reading great poetry for free, leave a comment and I’ll post links. Here’s the kicker. In my daily blog reading, I’ve found too much that is lacking in quality, and at the same time, too much that is excellent. There’s just too much to absorb. The lacking dilutes the excellent and conceals work that is worthy with the flood of work which is available.

How could too much excellent work be a bad thing, you might ask. The growing technology in publishing allows everything to be published with no gatekeeper. I remind you of the add I mentioned in the past which stated, “Write anything. Publish everything”. You can create a blog for free, a website for free, self-publish at minimal cost; all whether or not you have talent or something to say. I feel that the ease with which you can publish allows marginal writers a means of exposure, diluting the efforts of talented writers for gaining a public. In the past, there existed the means to self-publish using vanity presses. The cost limiting the volume. Technology has changed all this, and I feel not for the best. Of course, who is to say what is good and what is bad. But with the volume of work presented, the good is sometimes lost in a sea of the bad.

When I read a great piece on a blog or a great poem I wish more could enjoy the author’s work. Some of the bloggers I read also publish, rarely through traditional mean. The bottom line, I feel that the rapid growth of technology enables the marginal and dilutes the excellent. I see no way to remedy this problem and sure that it will increase as technology progresses.

I’m going to, here and now, establish a new term: The Crossover Generation of Writers. You are the very first to witness the birth of a movement, for however brief, will soon be dead along with this blogger. But not too soon.

What am I talking about, you may ask? I’m familiar with that response when I try to explain something.

It is this.

When I attended college as a biochemistry major, all science and engineering majors carried slide rules, the current device for calculations. I still have my bamboo-beauty still nestled in a drawer. Later after I graduated, around 1970, I knew someone who purchased one of the first calculators for around $100. The device could add, subtract, multiply and divide. That was it, with no memory. Today credit-sized calculators, which can do far more, and solar powered are given away. I got one years ago. Do you

What the theme of this piece is the progression from preparing a piece to be published on a typewriter, using correction tape to now submitting manuscripts on the internet. Unless you have experienced that transition, you cannot fully appreciate the impact technology has had on the writer that has lived through that transition. When unable to hire those familiar with the latest technology of publishing and marketing, those of a certain age (I) are lost.

I belong to a host of online organizations providing opportunities to publish and sell your work. All, I feel, are legitimate. Personally, I’m not immersed in the current technology and methods of publishing, distributing and selling my work. My focus is in writing, yet I realize the need for modern technology to be successful, to embrace both writing and the rapidly evolving technology of publishing and marketing of your work.

At times, I find the options beyond my comprehension and ability. Therefore, The Crossover Generation of Writers is born today. I am the first, but not only member.

Writers of advanced wisdom and experience, what do you think about this? Do you agree and identify?